Hong Kong racing tips: Jim McGrath with three selections at Happy Valley on Wednesday

Harold Win
1.05 Happy Valley
2pts win

Chill Chibi
2.05 Happy Valley
2pts win

Awesome Fluke
3.50 Happy Valley
2pts win

Andrea Atzeni is set to play his part in helping veteran Francis Lui to a first trainers’ championship aboard lightly raced Harold Win in the Class 4 6f handicap(1.05) at the last Happy Valley meeting of the season.

Entering the final week, with two racedays left, Lui trails the longtime title leader, Pierre Ng, by one win (67-66) but with several chances among his big team of nine runners. The battle looks likely to go right to the end at Sha Tin on Sunday.

Harold Win, bought for NZ$255,000 at the 2022 Ready To Run sale in New Zealand, only arrived in Hong Kong in December, so has been given plenty of time to develop, for which he is already showing the benefits.

In three starts, the son of Swiss Ace has never been out of the first four, and he looked unlucky on his most recent outing, when he was unable to get a run in the home straight and finished third in a 6f handicap at Sha Tin. He was beaten only three-quarters of a length.

Again favoured by an inside draw (stall four), the three-year-old has a perfect opportunity to start fulfilling his promise. He is a valuable runner for Lui in his title quest and also for Atzeni, who is two away from his target of 50 wins in his first season.

The danger to Harold Win is the Benno Yung-trained Amazing Ace, although Douglas Whyte’s Lucky Planet, a 14-start maiden set to carry the minimum weight, is also well fancied in a tricky contest.

Atzeni also has an excellent chance aboard the Ricky Yiu-trained Awesome Fluke in the finale, a Class 3 1m1f handicap (3.50), in which last year’s West Australian Derby winner can put his reserves of stamina to good use from a perfect draw in stall three. Ng’s Supreme Agility is the main threat.

The most intriguing race is the Class 2 handicap over 1m½f (2.05), with the Danny Shum-trained Chill Chibi expected to return to the winner’s list after several good recent runs despite being drawn poorly. 

The gelding’s class was underlined when he finished an excellent fourth behind Massive Sovereign in the Hong Kong Derby in March.  He was also most unlucky when racing wide without cover in a handicap there in April. This is a better opportunity for him, with Yellowfin (for Atzeni and Lui) his biggest danger.

Happy Valley Placepot perm

1.05
3 Amazing Ace
4 Harold Win 

1.35
1 Joy Coming
5 Camino 

2.05
5 Chill Chibi
6 Yellow Fin 

2.35
2 Nebraskan
4 Lean Master 

3.15
8 Ka Ying Cheer
10 Do Your Part 

3.50
1 Awesome Fluke
3 Supreme Agility

2x2x2x2x2x2=64 lines

Bets can be placed into Hong Kong pools with the Tote. The first race at Happy Valley on Wednesday is at 11.35am

Happy Valley card

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